Regulatory Newsletter (28 April-10 May)

Exclusive for Gambling.Re

• Exclusive Q&A with Jan Řehola of IFGR: the Czech Republic's plan to tighten gambling laws and taxation

• Head of Legal of Energame, Ievgeniia Derbal, discusses the sanctions imposed on Parimatch Ukraine and PokerMatch by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council

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Europe

• The UK government has rejected calls for affiliate partners to be awarded a license and will continue to hold licensee operators accountable for their marketing activities

• Italy is proposing a new anti-mafia legislation that outlines reforms for the country's gambling industry, including guidelines for responsible gambling, stake and prize limits

• German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has classified “certain forms” of daily fantasy sports (DFS) as illegal gambling in Germany, to protect German players from addiction

• France’s L'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has noted “little significant progress” in action plans to prevent problem gambling, ultimately rejecting six of them

• Major gambling companies in Denmark have donated £1.4m to the newly established Danish Gambling Committee, which will focus on treatment and prevention of gambling addiction

• Bet365's owner, Hillside, has been ordered by the Maritime and Commercial High Court of Denmark to pay DKK4.7m in compensation to Danish athletes

• Copenhagen’s City Court has ruled in favour of gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden in a dispute with a local association over illegal bingo and banko

• The Swedish government has called for closer cooperation between Spelinspektionen and the Swedish FSA to strengthen efforts for greater control over monetary transactions in gambling

• Despite a 17-year ban on gambling advertising in Latvia, it is still freely visible and audible on different websites and TV channels, leading experts to acknowledge that the ban is not enforced

• Estonia's Ministry of Finance proposes a phased tax hike on online gambling, casino games, and lottery to generate additional revenue

• Ukraine deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov submitted a draft law to dissolve the country’s regulator (KRAIL) and replace it with a new executive body

• The Ukrainian regulator reports a successful reduction of illegal gambling operations in the country through a joint effort with other state bodies to combat money laundering

• The Ukrainian regulator, the Gambling and Lottery Regulation Commission (KRAIL), has won a case against Ibox Bank after it cancelled the bank’s license to offer gambling services

• The Balearic Islands are the first Spanish region to update slot machines with warning signs and less encouraging features, such as turning off certain features that extend play

• The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has fined Merkur Casino €45,000 ($49,500) after it granted access to a customer who had self-excluded through Cruks

• Romanian slots operator Goldprest Impex SRL has had its license revoked due to unpaid fees, and the operator is expected to file an appeal, according to the Gambling Supervisory Committee

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North America

• A group of seven US gaming regulators have written to the Department of Justice to call for action on unlicensed offshore gambling, highlighting the risks it poses to consumers

• Vermont's online-only sports betting bill H127 has been passed by the state Senate with some amendments and is set to head back to the House for confirmation

• Controversy surrounds Colorado's SB23-259 as it passes the state's House, allowing casinos to offer lines of credit to gamblers

• Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced identical Bills in the Rhode Island General Assembly, proposing the legalisation of online casino gaming and poker in the state, beginning from January 1st, 2024

• The Minnesota State Government Committee approved an amendment on Wednesday that would give the state's two horse-racing tracks a share of sports betting revenue

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South America

• Brazilian government confirms federal sports betting regulations are ready for president’s signature

• The Ministry of Sport in Brazil has proposed allocating and collecting tax revenue from sports betting with a rate of 15 to 16% on gross gaming revenue

• Peru has introduced amendments to its iGaming laws to prevent financial fraud and possible tax evasion, with online betting and gaming sites no longer able to provide anonymity to their customers

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Australia

• Australia's largest sports wagering company, Sportsbet, breached industry standards by implying that successful gambling would lead to sexual success, according to Ad Standards

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Other

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